Jan and Feb Ships and Protocols

[Lee Cruiser]

GUEST OPERATIONS UPDATE – JANUARY AND FEBRUARY 2022 SAILINGS

October 6, 2022 Dear Carnival Guest: With 17 ships scheduled to return to service by the end of the year, we are very pleased with the progress we are making returning to guest operations.  Our vaccinated voyages have been operating very successfully and feedback from the many guests who have sailed with us these past few months continues to be overwhelmingly positive. As we look ahead to the new year, we have identified plans for the first two ships that will restart – Carnival Sunshine from Charleston on January 13, and Carnival Liberty from Port Canaveral on February 11. The following ships will operate through February 28, 2022, including your cruise.  Galveston:  Carnival Breeze, Carnival Dream and Carnival Vista Miami:  Carnival Freedom, Carnival Horizon, Carnival Sunrise and Carnival Conquest Port Canaveral:  Mardi Gras, Carnival Elation, Carnival Magic and Carnival Liberty (effective 2/11) New Orleans:  Carnival Glory and Carnival Valor Long Beach:  Carnival Panorama, Carnival Radiance and Carnival Miracle Baltimore:  Carnival Legend Tampa:  Carnival Pride Charleston:  Carnival Sunshine (effective 1/13) We will be operating our cruises in January and February as vaccinated cruises with our current protocols.  We will continue to keep you informed with information on our protocols as things evolve. We are optimistic that vaccines will be approved and available for children between 5 and 11 years of age before the end of the year enabling us to welcome more of our families with young children back on board!  Please watch for our next email or visit the Have Fun. Be Safe. page on Carnival.com where we will post our most updated information.    Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through our restart plans.  We look forward to welcoming you on board.    Sincerely,

Christine Duffy

[jsglow]

Thank you Lee.

 

Great information; zero surprise.

[Lee Cruiser]

1 hour ago, jsglow said:

Thank you Lee.

 

Great information; zero surprise.

Yes, certainly no surprise.  The removal of booking availability for certain ports (like Mobile) on the website once again showed that cancellations were imminent.

[Raxter54]

Don't have a problem with vaccinated-only cruises. Just hope that by our cruise time in February the mask protocol could be done away with.....

[azjim66]

Just now, Raxter54 said:

Don't have a problem with vaccinated-only cruises. Just hope that by our cruise time in February the mask protocol could be done away with.....

Same here! We are scheduled on the Panorama 2/19. 

[Bostwick girl]

Well there goes our January 31 on Liberty! Just changed it last week from February 14 back to January 31 because our friend had a conflict! Oh well, that’s the way it goes. 
 

[pe4all]

Just got this email.   Happy to see we are not cancelled ( Jan. Freedom) and cruise is a "vaccinated cruise."  DH still not happy I am going (he will be working) but dd and I both have booster Pfizer, and will still be as cautious as possible - even wearing masks if masks are not mandated in casino, etc.   Just happy to have a cruise in the future!

[Lee Cruiser]

6 hours ago, Raxter54 said:

Don't have a problem with vaccinated-only cruises. Just hope that by our cruise time in February the mask protocol could be done away with.....

It could change, but right now they say they will be operating Jan and Feb cruises with current protocols. 

[jsglow]

So I'm going to extrapolate from the new Jan/Feb protocols regarding the section that eliminates the 5% exception post 12/31 indicating that Carnival believes kids 5 and up will likely be eligible for the shot by then.

 

Carnival is moving toward 100% vaxxed.  Essentially 'permanently' (meaning for as far as the eye can see).  Mark it down.  I support that decision.

[mouche]

29 minutes ago, jsglow said:

So I'm going to extrapolate from the new Jan/Feb protocols regarding the section that eliminates the 5% exception post 12/31 indicating that Carnival believes kids 5 and up will likely be eligible for the shot by then.

 

Carnival is moving toward 100% vaxxed.  Essentially 'permanently' (meaning for as far as the eye can see).  Mark it down.  I support that decision.

 

Me too!!!

[tm_aw_love]

42 minutes ago, jsglow said:

So I'm going to extrapolate from the new Jan/Feb protocols regarding the section that eliminates the 5% exception post 12/31 indicating that Carnival believes kids 5 and up will likely be eligible for the shot by then.

 

Carnival is moving toward 100% vaxxed.  Essentially 'permanently' (meaning for as far as the eye can see).  Mark it down.  I support that decision.

So you think they won't allow children under the age of 5 or persons with religious/medical exemptions to cruise?

Seriously doubt that... but if it helps you sleep at night 👍

[BlerkOne]

14 minutes ago, tm_aw_love said:

So you think they won't allow children under the age of 5 or persons with religious/medical exemptions to cruise?

Seriously doubt that... but if it helps you sleep at night 👍

Perhaps medical and those are very limited.

 

What percentage of cruisers prior to the pandemic were under the age of 5? I don't think too many.

[firedisney97]

1 minute ago, BlerkOne said:

Perhaps medical and those are very limited.

 

What percentage of cruisers prior to the pandemic were under the age of 5? I don't think too many.

And if this is the case I do not see the kids clubs being available to kids under 5, where before they were open to kids I believe 2 and up.  They might open them back up to vaccinated over 5 though

[naxer]

I was expecting this.  In February I'm in a stateroom with a person who will not get vaccinated.   I have to switch/cancel/put the money on another booked cruise.  But, I'm used to it.  Carnival is used to it.  I find I'm also getting quite attached to Disney World, which, while more expensive, is easier and at this point, less stressful. 

[tm_aw_love]

9 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

Perhaps medical and those are very limited.

 

What percentage of cruisers prior to the pandemic were under the age of 5? I don't think too many.

I am not disagreeing with you that the numbers are very small... what I am disagreeing with was the Statement  by jsglow "that eliminates the 5% exception post 12/31" 

 

"Extrapolating" or assuming that there will no longer be any sort of exemptions seems to be quite wishful at best. 

[jsglow]

43 minutes ago, tm_aw_love said:

So you think they won't allow children under the age of 5 or persons with religious/medical exemptions to cruise?

Seriously doubt that... but if it helps you sleep at night 👍

There certainly may be an exception for 'under 5' and I suspect that CDC guidance will ultimately deal with that tiny minority.  What I'm saying is 100% vaccination for everyone that is eligible to get the shot, expected to be those 5 and up.  There will be essentially no exceptions to that and it will be permanent.  Sorry if I wasn't clear beforehand.

 

My point is that folks who choose not to get the vaccine won't be on a Carnival ship for the foreseeable future, if ever.

 

Edited October 7, 2021 by jsglow

[BlerkOne]

21 minutes ago, firedisney97 said:

And if this is the case I do not see the kids clubs being available to kids under 5, where before they were open to kids I believe 2 and up.  They might open them back up to vaccinated over 5 though

I also don't see kids clubs open to unvaxed, and I doubt babysitting services will be available.

[tm_aw_love]

52 minutes ago, jsglow said:

There certainly may be an exception for 'under 5' and I suspect that CDC guidance will ultimately deal with that tiny minority.  What I'm saying is 100% vaccination for everyone that is eligible to get the shot, expected to be those 5 and up.  There will be essentially no exceptions to that and it will be permanent.  Sorry if I wasn't clear beforehand.

 

My point is that folks who choose not to get the vaccine won't be on a Carnival ship for the foreseeable future, if ever.

 

Sorry to disagree with you... When we were on the Panorama last month, having my toddlers tested on the last day (for all unvaccinated) there were at least a couple of adults in there as well. 

 

The false sense of security that people feel by assuming that all adults are vaccinated just isn't true. 

 

I don't know why those adults were not vaccinated, it's honestly none of my business... but the fact is that there are unvaccinated children and adults cruising on Carnival as we speak.

[BlerkOne]

1 hour ago, jsglow said:

 

 

My point is that folks who choose not to get the vaccine won't be on a Carnival ship for the foreseeable future, if ever.

 

Yep. The only unvaxed will be those not eligible or those who for (real) medical reasons can't. Those groups will still require case by case exemptions and the numbers will be decreasing.

[Brkintx]

I see no language in the email I received that even indicates some change in the exceptions policy. Did I miss it? 

In very clear language it says they're going to operate as fully vaccinated cruises with the current protocols.  (Which define a "fully vaccinated cruise" as at least 95%, and which has a very defined exception process...)

I'm very much digging the lack of (as many) children on my sailings, so I kinda like that part, but the reality is that it's probably unsustainable from a business perspective... time will tell. 

 

 

[Webecruzen]

I believe ships will eventually only cruise with 100% Vaccinated Rates. With insurance companies announcing higher premiums for unvaccinated and no covid medical coverage for unvaccinated in the new year the trend will have to be 100% vaccinated.  My insurance would be $300.00 per person more per month if unvaccinated on January 1. Several insurers are announcing -0- Covid related medical coverage if unvaccinated.  A friend’s employer just announced close to the same changes for 2022.  We will see what Medicare changes are announced for the new year.   My friend has a medical condition that is unsafe for the vaccine at this time. I can tell you she is not happy with the medical coverage changes. 

[crewsweeper]

10 hours ago, Raxter54 said:

Don't have a problem with vaccinated-only cruises. Just hope that by our cruise time in February the mask protocol could be done away with.....

I doubt the mask protocol will go away as long as X% of passengers are non-vaxed.  Even with 100% passengers vaxed, I would expect cruise lines will follow CDC guidelines on wearing masks indoors in crowded areas.  Despite the live evidence that masks don't in and of themselves really act to prevent spread of COVID (witness the high contagion levels in areas with strict mask mandates versus those with looser protocols), Dr Fauci and ilk want you to wear as masks, because they say so.

[jsglow]

1 hour ago, Brkintx said:

I see no language in the email I received that even indicates some change in the exceptions policy. Did I miss it? 

In very clear language it says they're going to operate as fully vaccinated cruises with the current protocols.  (Which define a "fully vaccinated cruise" as at least 95%, and which has a very defined exception process...)

I'm very much digging the lack of (as many) children on my sailings, so I kinda like that part, but the reality is that it's probably unsustainable from a business perspective... time will tell. 

 

 

They've eliminated the vaccine exception carve out post 12/31.  Historically it's been used to accommodate kids under 12 but apparently some adults have supposedly sailed under that provision as well.  It's in the published protocols online. 

[Brkintx]

2 minutes ago, jsglow said:

They've eliminated the vaccine exception carve out post 12/31.  Historically it's been used to accommodate kids under 12 but apparently some adults have supposedly sailed under that provision as well.  It's in the published protocols online. 

I do not agree with your read.  

It lists the process thru December 31. It also says the exception process is not open for cruises beyond that. It further says they hope they won't have to (based on vaccine applicability in the future. 

There is no language that it has been eliminated.  In fact, I'll argue that it's very clear that they avoided saying that.  

[jsglow]

3 minutes ago, Brkintx said:

I do not agree with your read.  

It lists the process thru December 31. It also says the exception process is not open for cruises beyond that. It further says they hope they won't have to (based on vaccine applicability in the future. 

There is no language that it has been eliminated.  In fact, I'll argue that it's very clear that they avoided saying that.  

I understand you disagree with my interpretation.  I'll ask you to find this thread in 6-9 months.  We'll certainly know by then.  Enjoy cruising in the meantime! 👍